Secret Fears
by Mustard Lady
Summary: "Woody was miserable. He had a touch of the 'fever' again. At first it had been so subtle and he just brushed it away...then it lingered and he couldn't seem to make it go away. Yes, once again Woody was being plagued by the green-eyed monster." Feeling neglected and pushed aside again, Woody struggles to find acceptance from Bonnie's newest celebrity toy. Will they become friends?
1. Chapter 1 Down in the Dumps

**Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for your reviews and follows on my story An Act of True Love! Well, this fanfic is sort of a continuation of that segment, so yes, you'll see Jack in here. FrozenFever123 suggested doing a Part III of An Act of True Love where we see whether or not the bad guys did mend their ways. Well, ideas are coming together in my head! But I cannot promise when it will be up. FrozenFever123 also requested a fanfic of Buzz and Jessie's wedding as I imagined it. Well, I'm trying to work on that.**

 **I know that the way I make Mitsy talk about Jack, it sounds like she's talking of him romantically, but she's not. He's her beloved dog. And all you dog lovers out there...you know how it is!**

 **Yes, I am definitely planning to include more fanfics with Jack in them. But right now I really want to do more of when the toys lived with Andy. I mean Andy's room was part of our childhood, well, at least mine, and I feel like I've been writing so many of them with Bonnie. It's just that, I miss the toy loyalty to Andy lifestyle and I still want to be able to cry when I watch Toy Story3 and he gives them to Bonnie.**

 **And thank you to everyone who have enjoyed my stories and encourage me. Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback on my fanfics. This one is mostly about my favorite cowboy, Woody.**

* * *

Woody was miserable. He had a touch of the "fever" again. At first, it had been so subtle and he just brushed it away. Then he'd tried to fight it off when the symptoms appeared stronger, but they lingered and he couldn't seem to make it go away. Yes, once again, Woody was being plagued by the green-eyed monster.

In all honesty, he didn't want to feel this way, but with each passing day, his problem seemed to just grow. And he kicked himself inside over and over again for who he was jealous of: Jack. Jack had been living with Bonnie and her toys for a full month now. He was a good toy, and a great friend, _too_ great. All of Bonnie's toys were so impressed by him that Woody felt invisible, just like when Buzz first arrived in Andy's room.

It wasn't only that he felt neglected, he felt lonely too. It was almost as if everyone in Bonnie's room had _someone,_ a pal, a partner, someone to take under their wing, someone to _love._ There were the Potato Heads with their little family, there were Rex and Trixie, Hamm and Buttercup were chums, Dolly secretly had her eyes on Chuckles, Buzz had Jessie plus she had Bullseye, and Mitsy had her dog, Jack. Why, even Slinky _had_ Jack! Slinky was now like Jack's junior counterpart and followed him everywhere. He even started playing Checkers with him, a lot. Sometimes he would invite his old pal Woody to join, but the cowboy always felt intruded on by the other big hero dog and would decline the offer. Jack would offer too, but Woody would just frown and walk away.

Mitsy had tried so hard to make the other toys believe what a wonderful character Jack was, and now that they did, it seemed like they never talked about anything else. Woody was afraid of being compared to Jack and expected to live up to his example. In fact, Potato Head, Hamm, Buttercup, and even Dolly had teased him in that way: just like when he first met Buzz. They teased him relentlessly about why he wasn't built big and robust like Jack, why Jack had many stitches-battle scars-to show for his past bravery while Woody only had one little stitching in his right shoulder. Woody was cut at that and would firmly grip his shoulder. His patching up may have been done childishly, but Andy had lovingly put it together with care, and Woody was proud of that. The smart aleks also teased him about how Jack was a _real_ hero, and Woody was only a playtime hero. Buzz and Jessie tried to encourage him to ignore those guys and that they hadn't really meant anything by it, but Woody truly felt the sting from those "harmless" jokes.

Woody just couldn't help feeling jealous of Jack. He thought back on many events through the years. How many times _he_ had given of himself to help or protect those he cared about, and they'd never given _him_ a medal ceremony!

The cowboy missed Bo Peep very much these days. How he longed to hear her calm, reassuring voice and feel her comforting hand on his shoulder. His arms ached to hug her. He even missed being jerked by the neck with her staff. She'd always been his one true love, and she always would be. Oh, how he missed her terribly and needed her badly right now! It was especially at night, after everyone was in bed, or _supposed_ to be in bed, that Woody really, really missed Bo Peep. He could remember how the two of them sometimes would wait and wait and wait for bedtime so that they could steal away some alone time together, mostly on Molly's window sill. The moonlit and or starry nights threatened to bring a lump to Woody's throat. The words from an old song would play over and over again in his mind:

" _ **The moon is high,**_

 _ **The sky is blue,**_

 _ **And here am I,**_

 _ **But where are you?**_

 _ **A night like this**_

 _ **Was meant for two**_

 _ **And I am here,**_

 _ **But where are you?"**_

The lyrics burned inside him and wallowed in his heart so heavily that sometimes he felt his stuffing was going to bust out at the seams. Maybe someday they'd find each other again. Maybe...

Even Mitsy seemed to act differently. She used to make extra efforts just to be around Woody, and now she spent all her time with Jack. Of course, Woody personally didn't blame her much for that, after being separated all those years, then nearly losing him to death. And he could just bet that if Bonnie walked through that door with his precious Bo Peep he would probably be acting the same way. But there was another way he craved Mitsy's company now too. Even after Bo had left, Mitsy still seemed like his "little girl" almost, and she had looked up to him to solve her problems like a father and guide her through the joys and hardships of being a toy, and life with Andy. He'd felt so fulfilled the way the little princess had gone to _him_ so much when she was mourning her loss of her best friend. He missed her coming to him with her problems, big or small. He half-wished that she would seek him out for help right now because of some little hidden fear or something that was making her feel sad. Now he seemed to not even have that. At least then, he would know that he could still be useful to _someone._ "I guess this is how parents feel when their children grow up," he sighed to himself. "She doesn't need me anymore. Nobody needs me."

Buzz sensed the root of Woody's depression. He figured he knew what it was, but every time he tried to talk about it, Woody would evade the conversation. Buzz felt bad. He'd seen Woody this way before, and he didn't like it. He wanted to help him so much, but the cowboy would just appear to brush everything off. The two best friends knew that Woody needed to spill it out, and Buzz tried to probe him, but the miserable cowboy wasn't ready. Buzz and Jessie were both concerned about him and tried to console him, but it didn't seem to sink in.

Woody pondered endlessly on how he'd felt when he and Buzz first met and how different that was now. Their friendship was as one could say deeper than brotherly love and meant a lot to both of them. Woody was wondering if his jealousy of Jack would turn into a genuine, respectful friendship like it had with Buzz. He honestly did want to know Jack better, but he was afraid the celebrity dog would think the sheriff was beneath him, the way some of the other toys had joked about it. He'd come close a few times to trying to start up a polite conversation with the dog, but each time he'd lose his nerve.

* * *

"Buzz, have you seen Woody? Do you know where he is?" Mitsy asked.

"Are you looking for him?" Buzz asked back.

"Yes. Jessie said that she hasn't seen him since this morning." She had a dismal look on her face.

"I'm not sure. He might be on Bonnie's bed, or out in the living room."

"Okay, thanks. I'll try those," Mitsy sighed solemnly. Buzz watched her dejected manner.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked.

"I'll let you know," Mitsy replied as she walked away.

Woody was out in the hallway, away from the other toys, sitting on a box of artwork of Bonnie's. He was sulking _again_. Earlier he'd watched as Jack and Slinky tussled around on the floor like two feisty puppies, competing at who could be tougher, and it...it just made him feel even more dogged about the attention his old pal was giving to another toy. He didn't want to talk about his feelings: he was ashamed to admit them. "Hey there, Big Guy," a familiar voice broke into his gloomy thoughts. Woody slightly turned his head.

"Oh...uh, hi," Woody answered nervously. He hadn't been expecting her. She sat down on the box to his right. Woody noticed that she appeared as miserable as he was feeling, which stimulated his curiosity. _This is odd,_ he thought. "What's the matter with you?"

"I...it's...I..." Mitsy hung her head.

"What is it, Little Bit? You can tell me."

"Jack just scolded me," Mitsy said sadly.

"What?" Woody wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. He couldn't possibly have. "What happened?"

"Jack scolded me. He's hardly ever spoken to me like that. It sure doesn't make me feel good. But the thing is, what he said was true."

"Now hold on. We need to talk about this! What happened between you two?" Woody asked, confused and determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Well," Mitsy began, "Jack said that he was going to help Pricklepants and Potato Head gather some things from the basement, and I wanted to go too but didn't ask. I just followed. Jack asked me where I thought I was going and I said that I was coming with them…

… " _Honey, there's really no need for you to come." Jack said._

" _But I want to." Mitsy replied._

" _Mitsy, thank you but we really don't need your help. I really think you should go find something else to do." Jack stated._

" _Nah. I'm coming." Mitsy said..._

'Then Jack firmly told me no. His tone cut me off guard.' " Mitsy bit her lip. Woody was dumbfounded. Lately when he'd seen the princess playing around with her big dog, it had reminded him of a child with a brand new toy. But now it was starting to sound like the honeymoon stage was over.

"Yeah?" Woody commented, not sure what else to say. Mitsy sighed heavily and then continued.

"Jack pulled me aside and explained that I absolutely didn't need to accompany him. I told him that I wanted to be with him. He said that he appreciated that, but...but then...he...he..."

"He _what?"_ Woody prodded, a mixture of curiosity and a little worry in his voice.

"Jack said that I didn't need to smother him!" Mitsy exclaimed. Woody's jaw dropped and he blinked, cut off guard. Mitsy looked very glum. "Jack did say that he was sorry for being so direct, but that that's what I've been doing. He frowned and walked away."

"Man," Woody commented, shaking his head. "I can't believe that."

"I wanted to cry." Mitsy said flatly. "I never thought Jack would speak to me _that_ way. I wanted to run after him, plead, beg, and make him feel guilty for what he said after what's happened to us. But after thinking about it, I guiltily realized that he was telling the truth." Mitsy's lip stuck out.

"Wow." Woody said. "I certainly wouldn't expect that from _him!"_ Mitsy glanced up at the cowboy with her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, don't let him fool you." Mitsy slightly chuckled. "Jack may be doting on me, but that doesn't mean he always says yes! Which, if I'm honest, it's good that he doesn't. But, Woody, I...I _have_ been smothering him. But, but it's because I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of?" Woody asked.

"Promise you'll save you're opinion and advice for after I finish explaining?"

"I promise," Woody said hesitantly, not sure where this was headed.

"Woody, I've been afraid." Mitsy said sadly. "I feel like I have to keep my eyes on Jack every possible second. Like I _have_ to constantly be at his side. I'm afraid to take my eyes off him. Every time he leaves Bonnie's room or I don't know where he is, I get so worried!"

"I see," Woody nodded, starting to understand what she was talking about. _Little Mother Hen,_ he chuckled in thought to himself.

"I'm scared that if I don't keep my eyes glued on him, that..that I'll lose him again, that he'll never come back! Sometimes I want to hug him so tightly and never, ever let go. I just want to keep my arms around him forever, where I know he's safe and nothing bad is going to happen to him. But I can't do that. I want to keep him close to me always."

"Honey, you _have_ kept him close to you always," Woody said, patting her shoulder. "All these years of separation, not knowing if you'd ever have a chance to see him again, you were still so fond of him. Just like in _Lassie Come-Home._ And, _speaking from personal experience for my ears,"_ he said in a teasing tone, "it grew more and more as time went by." Mitsy rolled her eyes, half in aggravation, half in amusement.

"Oh, Woody, what do I do? Have _you_ ever felt this way before?"

Woody noticed that she _always_ asked him that same question when she presented her problems to the sheriff. "Yes, I have," he sighed quietly, looking away.

"About who?" Mitsy asked, looking up at him curiously.

"Bo," Woody whispered, choking on the word. Mitsy looked away and covered her mouth with her hand. For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Then she looked back up at the sad cowboy. He had a longing, pained, faraway look on his face. He was staring out the window, almost as if he was searching for something...or _someone_ but not finding... _her._ Mitsy felt sorry for him. She reached over and touched his arm with her small hand.


	2. Chapter 2 A Good Laugh

"Oh, Woody. I'm sorry," she moaned. "I should've known. I truly have _nothing_ to complain about. How selfish I'm being."

Woody shook his head. "No. No, don't talk that way. After what's happened in the past, your reaction is perfectly natural. If...if Bo _was_ here, I'd most likely be feeling and acting exactly as you have been."

Mitsy chuckled a little. "Yeah, I believe that. But at least I _have_ my dog, Jack. You've given so much of yourself, Woody. That's what gives us such respect for you. You and Bo Peep were together from the beginning, through practically all of Andy's childhood. And then...then she's taken from you. It's not fair! I had only 3 years with Jack before we got separated, and now he's here. But you and Bo Peep had a lifetime together, and...and now she's gone!

'I'll never understand why Providence chose to bring Jack back to me. It seems that after all you've done for us, and all you've been through that Bo should be brought back to you! It just doesn't seem fair! It makes me almost feel guilty for being happy with my wonderful dog.' "

Woody was blown away at how she was able to put into words exactly how he felt in his heart! Feeling sorry for himself, those had been the very thoughts that had been crawling through his noodle. But he needed to clarify something. "Oh no, Mitsy. Don't ever say that!" He replied. "Don't feel bad about the good fortune you've received. You know? That's ungrateful and taking it for granted. If anything, it should make you appreciate your gift even more. You want to know how to let Jack live without you always worrying?"

"I sure do!" Mitsy's eyes lit up with interest.

"Well, remember all the good things you like so much about him. When you _do_ spend time together, make the best of it and live every moment fully. I know that in life we let things occupy our minds and distract us, but we're not truly living if that's all we ever do. Cherish your time together with your friend. It's very precious."

Mitsy smiled, looking up with puppy dog eyes at the fatherly type cowboy figure. "How did you get so wise?"

Woody gulped nervously. "Much experience. And...and too many mistakes."

Mitsy giggled then her voice became serious. "Woody, I know that I haven't been spending much time with you, but I hope you still think of me as your friend."

"Oh, I do, if you still believe I'm your friend!"

"Oh, you are! And I want to spend more time with you. I'm really hoping Jack and you will be good friends. Once he knows what a wonderful toy you are, he'll have tremendous respect for you like everyone else."

"I don't want to intrude on your friendship." Woody said.

"Why, Woody!" Mitsy sputtered. "Right in line with Jack, next to him, you're the very best friend I've ever had! Any of us have ever had. Think about it, if it wasn't for you, Jessie and Bullseye wouldn't be here and I can hardly remember what life used to be like before they came! And Bonnie, if wasn't for you, we wouldn't have her either. Slinky is also one of my best friends. He and Jack have gotten along great. But even though Jack's here now, I...I mean, all of us, _we_ would be lost without you! If only you could know how distraught we all felt when Al stole you, when we thought that Lotso had killed you, and how little sleep Bo and Slinky got when you were trapped in Sid's house."Woody began to smile, for the first time in days. He felt more and more loved than he'd let himself admit. That _woe is me,_ put upon, pushed aside feeling was starting to melt away. Suddenly, life didn't seem so dreary and he could've sworn that the sunlight through the windows _was_ shining brighter. "You'll never understand how cared for we all felt when you chose to stay here at Bonnie's, with us. Even though our future is uncertain, knowing that we would _all_ be together filled us with a sense that everything would be okay. You can ask anybody. Well, there may be some who won't admit it." She was referring to Potato Head and Hamm.

Woody looked at her smiled warmly. "I've been a real drag around here haven't I?" He chuckled.

"Mmm...yeah, I'd say you have." Mitsy grinned. "I have something to tell you."

" _Something?_ Have you got _more_ to say?" Woody asked, much more light-hearted now.

"I'm not sure if you knew, but a while back Barbie and Ken invited me to come visit Sunnyside. I do miss Barbie, and I know it's a safe place now, but I was still scared to go there."

"That's understandable." Woody nodded.

"Well, I feel ready now." Mitsy stated confidently. "I want to visit there again. And if it's okay with you, if it doesn't bother _you,_ I'd really like to take Jack with me."

"Why are you asking me? It's his choice to go. I don't make his decisions for him."

"I don't want you to feel left out." Mitsy replied.

"Hey, I honestly think he should go with you." Woody smiled. "I think it would be good for him to know its history. The event there was a major turning point in our lives as toys, and I believe that you should share the experience with him. If Bonnie doesn't take you on her own, we can make arrangements."

"Do you mean that, Woody? I mean, you won't mind?" Mitsy asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, I do."

"Oh," Mitsy sighed heavily with relief. "I'm so glad you feel that way! I'm glad we had this talk. I certainly feel better."

"You know something? So do I." Woody smiled widely.

"Really?"

"Yep. Come here, Little Bit." Woody pulled her close to himself and gripped her in a tight bear hug, happily grunting as he did it. Mitsy laughed cheerfully. Then they both sat in content, relieved silence for a minute.

"I should probably go find Jack. I need to talk to him." Mitsy said wistfully.

" _I_ have a question first." Woody said.

"Yes?" Mitsy asked, looking up at him curiously.

"Are you..." he acted like he was trying to remember the question.

"What?" She held her hands out inquisitively.

" _...TICKLISH?"_ Mitsy was so cut off guard when Woody tickled her neck between her shoulders the way he used to.

"Eeee!" Mitsy squealed, shrugging her shoulders high and giggling. Then Woody tickled her sides. Mitsy leaned forward, laughing loudly. She couldn't help it as Woody's fingers made her giggle.

"Huh? Huh? Are ya? Are ya?" Woody chuckled.

"Oh ho, ho! Woody, stop!" Mitsy laughed. "Woody, don't!" And she managed to shove his hands away. She scooted closer and as he slapped his knee laughing, she playfully shoved him off the box. Woody fell over onto the floor.

"Hey!" Woody chuckled in surprise.

"I got ya back, ha, ha." Mitsy smirked.

"What's so funny?" An unexpected voice interrupted them. Both giggling dolls looked up to see _Jack,_ standing there and curiously cocking his head.

"Oh, hi, Jack." Mitsy smiled widely. "We were just having a little fun." Jack raised his eyebrows and eyed the cowboy on the floor.

"So I see." Jack remarked.

Woody glanced at both of them then stood up, brushing his pants and vest off. "Well, uh, excuse me, guys." He grinned, and tweaked Mitsy's nose as he walked away.

Jack glanced thoughtfully at Mitsy. "I'm glad I found you." He said. "I want to talk you, Mitsy."

"And _I_ want to talk to you too." Mitsy grinned. She stood up and nervously walked over to him. "Jack, I...I..." she said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry." They both said together, then chuckled. "I'm sorry about..." then they laughed again.

* * *

Buzz and Jessie glanced toward the doorway and then smiled at each other as Woody entered Bonnie's bedroom with a big smile on his face. The cloud of heaviness had evaporated, well, mostly. Jessie's face clouded over and she stood erect with her hands on her hips. "What are you so happy about, Mr. Grumpy Gills?" She asked, pretending to be stern. "I thought you'd hung up your badge and started running for clam of the year."

"Everything all right, cowboy?" Buzz asked hopefully.

"Everything's bright now." Woody smiled. "I still have some other knots to untangle, but it'll be taken care of."

"Oh, is that so?" Jessie grunted playfully. "Whatever happened to Mr. Johnny Raincloud?"

"Him? Oh, he decided to take a vacation." Woody replied. Then he felt a tug behind him on his pull-string. _"I'd like to join your posse, boys, but first I'm gonna sing a little song."_ His insides stated. He turned to see Bullseye standing there, wagging his tail. "Hey, what do you think you're up to?" Woody asked. Bullseye shrugged and then dropped on the floor on his back and waved his hooves around like a dog. Woody chuckled, shaking his head. Then he felt another tug behind him. _"_ _This town ain't big enough for the two of us. Ha, ha, what am I saying? Of course it is."_ His voice box blurted again. Woody narrowed his eyes and made a face as he turned again. Buzz and Jessie both stood there with their hands behind their backs. "All right, all right. Who did it?"

"Wasn't me." Buzz and Jessie both said. Woody eyed them suspiciously.

"Come clean, you two. Now who was it?" Woody asked in mock sternness, with his hands on his hips and tapping his foot.

"He..." Jessie said, pointing to Buzz.

"She did it!" Buzz said, pointing to Jessie.

"Well, let me give you both a piece of advice: quit pulling my string!" Woody hollered, pretending to be annoyed.

"Ooo, yeah?" Buzz snickered, then they both charged at Woody and knocked him down face first to the floor. "Get it, Jessie! Quick!" Buzz urged.

"What are you doing?" Woody huffed, then he looked up and saw Jessie kicking her heels around as she waved his hat in the air. "Jessie? Give that back!" Woody bellowed.

"Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah." Jessie taunted him. "Come and get it, cowboy." Then she darted away with it.

"Ugh. Let me up, Buzz." Woody growled. He was pinned down to the floor. "Get off of me!" He heard the space ranger snickering. Buzz very slowly got to his feet and released the cowboy.

"Jessie, you get back here now! Give me my hat!" And Woody ran after his boisterous, fun, but troublesome, wild sister. She was on the window sill, dangling the hat in a teasing manner. Woody quickly jumped up to grab it put she pulled it back out of his reach.

"You'll have to catch me first!" She chuckled, then took a flying leap to the next window.

* * *

"Okay." Hamm cleared his throat as he started to read. "Here we go:

 _Advice to Prospective Parents,_

 _Congratulations to all of you **mysterious** mothers and **dizzy** fathers. You are about to give birth to a **crab**." _ The toys were chuckling as Hamm continued.

"I'll say they're crabs." Potato Head remarked, and his wife nudged him hard in the side.

"Ahem." Hamm spoke up. _"Remember, a happy child comes from a happy **lovey.** The arrival of your **gun barrel..."**_

"Gun barrel?" Jack shook his head.

" _...will cause many **purple** changes in your life." _The toys snickered. _"You'll probably have to get up at four A.M. to give the little **door** its bottle of **stuffy** milk and change his or her **chops.** Later, when he or she is **10 million** years old..."_

"Whoa!" The other toys gasped in surprise. "Golly, how much would that be in dog years?" Slinky asked with furrowed brows then looked up at the ceiling, trying to calculate.

" _...and able to walk,"_ Hamm said.

"That's pretty bad if they don't know how to walk by then." Buttercup grinned.

"Let me finish." Hamm said. _"...You'll probably hear the patter of little **radiators** around the house."_

"I don't think moms would complain anymore about noisy _kids_ anymore if that was the case." Dolly spoke up.

" _And in no time, your child will be talking **secretly,-**_ uh-huh. Sure will!- _and calling you his or her ' **walking stick** ', and saying things like, ' **Whoa**!' right to your face. It's no wonder they are called little bundles of **microphone."**_ The toys laughed.

"That one was pretty good." Buttercup said.

"Heh, yeah." Trixie agreed. "But I think babies are cute and sweet."

"Yeah sure." Potato Head said skeptically. "Until they're hungry and need changed and you gotta clean their noses out."

"Mmm, I remember those days when Maddie was an infant." Jack nodded. "She sure was loud, and I would usually end up with a lot of her baby 'affections': slobber, food, you name it. But she grew out of them."

"Well, I guess I'll go again." Hamm said. "Okay. I need an adverb..." As the other toys gave their input, Hamm jotted down words. Soon he was ready to read it. "Okay, How to serve wine."

"This ought to be good." Buttercup grinned.

Hamm read, " _A good wine, served_ _ **inadvertently,**_ _can make any meal a truly_ _ **corrosive**_ _occasion."_ His friends laughed. _"The red wines have a_ _ **next**_ _flavor that blends with boiled_ _ **uranium**_ _or smoked_ _ **chop suey."**_

"I wonder what that would taste like." Buzz said sarcastically.

"Probably corrosive." Chuckles said casually. The others snickered.

"Nah, more like pickled." Mrs. Potato Head said.

" _I'm_ the one reading here, thank you." Hamm snorted. _"White wines range in flavor from **broken** to **painful.** The best wines are made by peasants in **Grant's Tomb** from the juice of ripe **monsters,** by putting them in vats and squashing them with their **loopy** feet."_

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ew!" Woody howled. "That would taste foul, but the description...eh, heh, heh, heh..."

" _This is what gives wine that **withered** aroma." _Everyone roared in laughter. _"Here are a few rules:_

 _1\. Always serve white wine in a **tense** glass at **boss** temperature._

 _2\. Never serve burgundy with fried **elephants.**_

 _3\. Wines should always be drunk **last night** or you're liable to end up with a **deep** stomach." _

"That was great!" Rex cheered.

"Oh, oh, oh, my sides are hurting." Slinky panted with a giggle.

"So, who wants to do the next one?" Buzz asked when he'd caught his breath.

"Me, please!" Trixie announced, then jumped up onto the tea table as Hamm stepped down. She pulled the Mad Lib tablet closer to her. "Okay, guys. I need an adjective."

"Hmm. Pearly white," Pricklepants spoke up.

"All right." Trixie said and started writing it with a pink pencil, with a yellow feathery ball on top of the eraser. "Okay, another one."

"Transferred." Buzz stated.

"Okay?" Trixie furrowed her eyebrows. "But, that's not an adjective is it, Rex?"

"I don't know." Rex replied.

"You're asking the wrong genius." Hamm chuckled. "Eh, it can be one."

"Okay." Trixie chirped. Soon it was ready. "All right, ahem. How to go to sleep:

 _If you have trouble falling asleep,"_

"Here we go, another infomercial." Woody rolled his eyes.

"Sure sounds like one." Jessie agreed.

"Yeah," Trixie nodded. _"...you probably have a_ _ **pearly white**_ _mind. You must learn to relax so you will have a_ _ **transferred**_ _mind instead._ _First, drink a cup of hot_ _ **formula**_ _and stretch out on a_ _ **brunette**_ _bed in a_ _ **scaly**_ _position."_

"That doesn't sound very restful." Dolly interjected.

"Too bad." Trixie shrugged. _"_ _Then, breathe_ _ **a long time ago**_ _and think about something beautiful, such as_ _ **witty trenches.**_ _Do not think about your_ _ **mirrored**_ _enemies or entertain another_ _ **loopy**_ _thoughts. Concentrate on something restful, such as_ _ **grapefruits**_ _which will make your_ _ **digestion**_ _more relaxed, or count imaginary_ _ **stickers..."**_

"Now, that would be Bonnie." Dolly remarked. "I can just see her doing that."

"Uh-huh." Jessie nodded, smiling.

"Yep." Trixie agreed. _"...Count imaginary_ _ **stickers**_ _jumping over a_ _ **dude."**_ Slinky and the others chuckled. _"Follow these_ _ **dirty**_ _rules and you will fall into a_ _ **stainless steel**_ _sleep the minute..._ the, the minute your…the minute..." Trixie couldn't finish reading as she started laughing hard. She could not stop.

"What's so funny?" Rex asked eagerly. "The minute what?" Trixie snorted loudly and continued to laugh, so much that she almost couldn't make a sound from being unable to breathe.

"Trixie, what..." Buzz asked curiously as he snickered.

"What is it?" Mitsy and Buttercup chuckled together. Trixie let out high-pitched squeals, unable to restrain herself.

"Would you like me to finish for you?" Chuckles offered. Trixie shook her head.

"I'll...I'll…I'll...I'll...ha, ha...I'll finish it." She giggled. _"_ _The...the...the minute...hee, hee, hee, hee!"_ Trixie dropped to the floor of the tea table and pounded it with her leg.

"I'll get it." Chuckles sighed and climbed up, taking the tablet in his hands. He quickly skimmed through the paragraph to find where the hysterical triceratops had left off. "Ah, here it is... _And you will fall into a_ _ **stainless steel**_ _sleep the minute your...your..._ " Chuckles snickered and tried to compose his voice, but it was breaking up into a laughing fit. _"Your_ _ **TONSILS**_ _hits the pillow!"_ And with that, he dropped the tablet and covered his face as he giggled loudly. Bonnie's whole toy brigade erupted in laughter, except the little Peas-in-the-Pod who missed the joke.

"Eeeww!" Jessie giggled, holding her sides. "That's...that's gross!"

"Sounds...s-sounds a new comedy, horror plot." Buttercup managed to say. Woody pounded his fist hard on the floor. He was deliriously, daffily, dizzily laughing hysterically. It had been a long time since he'd had a really good laugh and it suddenly made him feel very playful: playful in that mischievous sort of way and with some effort, he slinked away into the crowd of howling toys.

"Wait a minute. That's not very funny." Rex commented.

"Ooohh, yes it is." Buzz interjected.

"Imagine it." Rex said. "What a horrifying thought."

" _Who_ picked that one?" Jack barked.

"Who else?" Slinky chuckled.

"Hamm, of course." Mitsy said, trying to catch her breath. Jessie didn't realize that a certain someone had snuck up behind her and had stealthily managed to loosen and steal her hair ribbon. For once, not doing a Mrs. Nesbit joke, he'd decided to try to pull of something new.

"Oh, man! _That_ last sentence was good!" Dolly exclaimed.

"Awww, look, everyone. Doesn't Buttercup look cute?" Woody spoke up in a teasing voice. Everyone turned to face him. Woody had managed to tie Jessie's hair ribbon in a sweet little bow to the unicorn's matching horn on top of his head. Buttercup rolled his eyes and gasped with horror. The other toys all laughed.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Hamm's voice carried over the others.

"Woody, you stinker!" Trixie grinned. Jessie quickly felt her hair which was loosely out in strands now.

"Hey, that's my hair ribbon!" She huffed. "You thief."

Buttercup glared darkly and bucked Woody off. "I'll get you for this, cowboy." He threatened. Woody just stood there chuckling.

"And I'll help ya." Jessie growled. They both charged at the smirking sheriff.

"Aw, oh no!" Woody gasped, raising his hands to protect himself.

* * *

"Jack agreed to go to Sunnyside with me tomorrow." Mitsy told Jessie later in the night.

"That's great." Jessie smiled. "Tell Ken and Barbie hi for me, will ya?"

"Sure." Mitsy replied. "I...I'm still nervous though. I haven't been there since our escape, and well, you know." She shrugged.

"You'll be just fine." Jessie said. "It's safe now, and with Jack at your side, who's gonna cause any trouble, right?"

"You're right." Mitsy nodded.

"Quit your frettin'. That's a bad habit of yours. You just go and have a good time."

"All right." Mitsy grinned.

* * *

Woody was wide awake even after Bonnie and the other toys were asleep. He surely had had fun today. What a contrast from when he'd woken up this morning. His warm thoughts were interrupted by two familiar, dear voices. "You awake, cowboy?" Buzz asked quietly.

"Sure am." Woody smiled. "What are you two up too?"

"Well, if you're still in such a good mood, we wondering if you'd like to join us for a movie in the living room." Jessie said.

"Sure! Thanks." Woody stood up. "Can I pick? Please?"

"I guess." Buzz said, and the three best friends quietly tip-toed out of their owner's bedroom to the living room couch. With his green glow, Buzz found the remote and turned on the TV. It blasted on very loud.

"For crying put loud, tune it down, Buzz!" Woody hollered frantically.

"Quick, before the whole house wakes up!" Jessie cried. Buzz quickly pressed the volume down. "Whew, that was close." Jessie wiped her face with her arm.

"If this goes south, it's all you." Woody pointed at his friend.

"It was an accident, Woody." Buzz groaned. "I didn't know that Rex and Trixie left the volume all the way up when they played their video game." Jessie swatted Woody's shoulder.

"Now, you be good and behave yourself or you won't get to watch anything with us." Jessie growled.

"Okay. Okay," Woody chuckled. "Sorry about that." The three dolls all got comfortable on the couch.

"Well, what did you have in mind, sheriff?" Buzz asked.

"Try Turner Classic Movies first, and let's see if anything's on." Woody answered. The screen became black and white, revealing an old vintage film on a very busy street. The camera focused on a particular cab that pulled up to the curb. Amidst the honking horns of the other vehicles, a catchy tune played. "Hey, I've heard that before!" Woody announced.

"What is it?" Jessie inquired curiously. "I can't seem to place it."

" _So delightful to be married, to be-be-be-be-be-be-be married..."_ A familiar actor on the screen sang to himself in the cab. He was looking down at a phonograph sitting in his lap.

"Love Crazy!" Woody snapped his fingers. "That's it! Perfect. It's been a very long time since we've seen this."

"What's Love Crazy?" Buzz asked. Woody gaped at him.

" _Honestly,_ Buzz." Woody shook his head. "I thought that _you_ of all toys would've remembered that one!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buzz asked uneasily.

"Don't you two remember? This is where he and his wife have a misunderstanding and she plans to divorce him. So, he goes all out pretending to be insane to delay the divorce and get her back."

"Doesn't he get put in an insane asylum or something and throws a net over the fence to escape?" Jessie asked.

"I don't remember that exactly. But hey, come on. Let's watch it." The three friends rested back and watched the hilarious old film. They laughed hard multiple times-having to remind each other not get too loud or their owners might wake up-, especially when Steve Ireland ruined a friend's party by setting the guests' hats into the swimming pool claiming he was emancipating slaves, acting all looney to convince them he was crazy, especially his snobby, meddlesome mother-in-law, whom he 'accidentally' knocked into the pool.

"Ha, ha, ha." Jessie smirked at the last line in the end of the movie. "Too-a-loo, Ward Willaby."

"He got what he deserved." Buzz said with satisfaction.

"Aaahhh," Woody yawned and stretched his arms, but not before Jessie playfully poked his side. "Hey! Ah heh, heh. Well, let's hit the hay, shall we?"

"Sounds pretty good to me." Buzz agreed. They both helped Jessie down to the floor then all walked together back to Bonnie's bedroom. "That Steve Ireland sure was a stinker."

"Yep. He sure was." Jessie said. "But I have to admit, it was really sweet of him to go through all of that trouble just to get his wife back. He sure pulled off some clever ones. Reminds me of someone else we know." Her eyes narrowed at her brother, who gaped at them wide-eyed.

"Who? _Me?"_ He gasped. The two love birds snickered.

"Oh, please." Buzz rolled his eyes. "You can't deny it, cowboy. Admit it. You can be just as bad as Steve Ireland at times."

"I am not!" Woody retorted back. "I can maybe pull of some good jokes, but _I_ sure wouldn't disguise myself as a woman to sneak into my own apartment!"

"Sure, sure." Buzz nodded skeptically with a smirk. "Well, you sure were a troublemaker very recently."

"Especially earlier today!" Jessie declared with big, teasing eyes.

"Hey," Woody said in a defensive tone. "It was all in fun. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just having a good time."

"Yeah, just like Steve Ireland when his wife said that he always wanted to dig a hole in the middle of Fifth Avenue." Buzz teased.

"And chewed up a phonograph record so he could learn to do the Rumba by taking it internally." Jessie giggled.

" _Oh, dear! There I go again,"_ Woody said in a mimicked woman's voice, copying off of Steve Ireland's lines and facade behavior in the movie. He clasped his hands together in a theatrical stance. _"I'm so impulsive."_ He said pathetically.

* * *

 **Took me a while to figure out what all to put in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed. The Mad Libs came from a few that my sister and I actually did. We really laughed at the way they'd turned out, especially the last one. The italics show the words that the toys picked out.**

 **Love Crazy starring William Powell and Myrna Loy is one of our favorite movies. It's wacky, and they're so cute together. If you haven't seen it, it's a good one, especially to watch if you've had a hard day.**

 **I have more chapters to come. You're welcome to give reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3 Back to Normal

**Sorry that this fanfic hasn't shown much of Buzz and Jessie, but the new story I'm hoping to whip up after this one is complete, I'm planning to show more of the usual characters.**

* * *

"Time to go!" Dolly said, the next morning right before Bonnie came to grab her backpack. Jack and Mitsy were going to Sunnyside today. Jack crawled inside the backpack, but before Mitsy could follow, Woody playfully scooped her up and tossed her in. As he closed the zipper, Woody gave the princess a discerning look to which she smiled back. Between the two of them, the exchanged stare sealed that he was fully in favor of this trip. He and the other toys became limp as Bonnie came in, grabbed her school bag, then left.

"Ookay. Well, everyone, let's go do whatever." Woody smiled. He was still reserved-polite, but not talkative-toward Jack, but it was so good for his closest friends to see him cheerful again. He felt a familiar paw pat his leg and looked down.

"Hey, Woody. Ya wanna play Checkers, or something with me?" Slinky offered.

"Sure, bud." Woody smiled widely. "Let's go."

"I play the winner." Chuckles announced.

"Okay." Woody chuckled. So, all the toys went about their business.

* * *

During the drive to Sunnyside, inside the bag, Mitsy was unusually quiet as she rested her head on Jack's shoulder muscle. He thought she would be more excited about showing him the sights, especially since he'd been wanting to know what connection she and the other toys had with the daycare center. "Is something wrong, honey?" He asked, cocking his head.

"I'm just thinking," Mitsy said softly. "You'll like Barbie and Ken, Jack. They'll be thrilled to meet you."

"Oh, that's nice. Mitsy, is something bothering you? What is it?"

"I'm nervous, Jack. I've had butterflies in my stomach all morning." She scooted even closer to her big dog and hung onto him.

"But, it was your idea to take this trip."

"I know." Mitsy sighed. "But I...I'm still...I'm scared, Jack."

"Why?" Jack inquired. "Is there something about where we're going that I need to know about?"

"Uh-huh." Mitsy nodded.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm here. I'm with you, and I'll keep you safe." The princess looked fondly up at him and smiled gratefully. "So, what is this dark and mysterious thing at Sunnyside that frightens you, huh?"

Mitsy cleared her throat. "Well, you see..."

* * *

"Wake up, Sleepy Head. You have some bandits to track down!" A scolding voice declared. Woody felt a gentle smack on his forehead and opened his eyes. He'd dozed off after attempting to play a game of Monopoly with Hamm, Buttercup, Buzz, and Potato Head but quit after almost an hour-which the game was still presently going on-, then going over staff meeting schedules. He saw Jessie standing above him, hands on hips, and a scowl on her face.

"Bandits?" Woody sputtered, trying to wake up from his snooze. "What are you talking about?"

"Hamm told me that he saw your hat sneak out of here on its own. But I bet my saddle on some small young-ins that are up to no good." Jessie stated, tapping her foot.

"My hat?" Woody frantically felt his head. "My hat! Where are the thieving little critters? Let's go round 'em up, Deputy." They ran together out of Bonnie's room to search the house. "Where are you, you little sneak thieves?" Woody called out. "I'll find your hideout, no matter where you are."

When they reached the kitchen, Jessie halted. "I hear with my little ear something that sounds like little voices giggling. Ooo. And I hear squeaks too." The two cow-folk dolls followed the noise until they looked in the cabinet under the sink. There were the three green aliens with Woody's hat in the middle. The hat was twitching, and there were laughing voices underneath it. "Aha!" Jessie announced. "Caught you little hat rustlers red-handed. Now hand it over."

"We were playing cowboy," one of the aliens said.

"Give me my hat back!" Woody growled and snatched his precious attire. The three peas laughed. Woody placed his hands on his hips. "You little rascals. Reach for the sky." Jessie rolled her eyes incredulously.

"Seriously?" She asked sarcastically. "Get real, bro. They have no arms."

Woody pursed his lips, nodding. "All right. Now come clean."

"Someone told us to pull a prank on you. Hee, hee," Peanelope snickered. And with that, the six green 'children' toppled onto the sheriff and the cowgirl, ran over them, and scurried away.

"Get back here!" Jessie hollered.

"We'd better nab them before they make a getaway." Woody stated. They chased the kids back to Bonnie's bedroom. Hamm and Buttercup burst out laughing. "You two _were_ behind this," Woody said, flustered.

"Of course," Buttercup snickered. "Can't you take a joke?"

"Come on, cowboy." Hamm said. "Where's your sense of humor?"

"Humph," Woody huffed and turned on his heel. Jessie glared at the green little toys.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to take things that don't belong to you?" She asked.

"They told us to do it." One of the aliens said.

"Just how much did you pay them to do it?" Jessie asked dangerously.

"They promised us each 5 dollars (Monopoly game money)." Peatrice answered.

"You two are a _bad_ influence." Jessie growled with a glare at the pig and the unicorn. Then she knocked their heads together. "Maybe that will teach you a lesson!" And she walked away.

"Hey, you didn't tell me that we would get beat up." Buttercup said, wagging his head. "I don't recall that being part of the deal."

"Eh." Hamm shrugged. "They're just being picky and fussy."

* * *

The toys inside the backpack could feel it being hung up, then the children's voices they heard trailed off. "Okay." Mitsy gulped.

"Well, let's go." Jack cleared his throat, and unzipped the bag. Mitsy scrambled onto his back, then he hopped down onto the tile floor. "So, which way?" He asked, cocking his head.

"Out the door." Mitsy answered. Jack trotted into the hall 'til they reached a door that said Butterfly Room. "In there. This is it." Jack nudged it with with his nose and the big door opened. The large room was alive with activity. Toys were everywhere, playing or whatever they chose to do. It wasn't recess, so it would be a good long while before any children showed up. Mitsy's mind flooded with memories of this once dreadful place. It had been a year since they'd been imprisoned at the daycare center, and today it looked just as inviting as the day they'd foolishly donated themselves into Lotso's clutches. She sighed nervously as Jack slowly approached the middle of the room.

"Do you see anybody familiar?" Jack spoke up.

"Mmm. Not yet." Mitsy shook her head, then a familiar, excited voice called out to her.

"Mitsy?! Mitsy?! Is that you?!" Barbie shrieked in delight. Mitsy turned her head to the left as she saw the ecstatic doll running toward her. The princess quickly slid off the German Shepherd's back and ran to her friend. The two shared a tight hug. "Oh, Mitsy. I'm so happy to see you!" Barbie exclaimed.

"Me too." Mitsy smiled widely. "I've missed you, Barbie."

"I've really missed you too."

"Mitsy? Hey! This is phenomenal. Great to see you, kid." Ken cheered as he came up behind his girlfriend. Mitsy chuckled.

"Hey." She responded. "How are you guys?"

"We're great. And you?"

"Wonderful!" Mitsy exclaimed. "I brought a _very_ special friend with me. Jack, meet Ken and Barbie. Barbie? Ken? Meet Jack!" The two Mattel toys' jaws dropped widely.

"Jack? This is Jack?!" Barbie gaped. "Your dog Jack who saved you? The one you've been talking about all these years?"

"The one and only." Mitsy nodded, hugging the dog. "And he's got the scars to prove it." She pointed to his stitches.

"Oh my word!" Barbie raised her hands to her mouth.

"Well, it's a thrill to meet you in person, Jack." Ken smiled. "This is just groovy. We've heard so much about you. Welcome to Sunnyside."

"Thank you very much." Jack said.

Barbie put her arm around the princess. "So, Mitsy, what do you think of Sunnyside _now?"_

"Well, we just got here." Mitsy shrugged.

"Then come on! Let us show you around." Ken declared, pulling Jack along with him.

"Your Highness! Greetings, my lady." Sarge called and the toys looked down at the floor.

"Sarge!" Mitsy gasped. "I've completely forgotten that you were here. It's good to see you. I'll tell Woody you said hello. And I have someone special for you to meet." But before she could introduce Jack, a tall, purple, black, and red figure with big yellow teeth appeared and interrupted them.

"You, Goldilocks." The toy said, pointing to Mitsy. Jack squared his shoulders, ready to throw himself in front of her should this guy cause any trouble. "Do you remember me? I certainly remember you!"

Mitsy bit her lip, not sure what to say. It was Zurg! But it couldn't possibly be the same Emperor Zurg that she, Buzz, and the other guys had encountered when they'd ventured out to save Woody from Al's apartment...could it? It certainly sounded like it, and he seemed pretty sure of what he was talking about. "Uh," she began nervously. "Uh, I...I think I do. Have we met before?"

"Absolutely." Zurg said cheerfully. "You and that other Buzz and your comrades reunited me with my precious son, Buzz. If it wasn't for your Buzz, we might never have found each other again. I am deeply indebted to you and your platoon."

 _Okay, it's definitely the same one,_ Mitsy nodded, thinking to herself. "Yes, I remember you, uh... _sir._ It's...been a very long time." She smiled nervously, then glanced to Barbie. "I don't remember you telling us that _he_ was here!" She whispered to her friend.

"So, I didn't think about it." Barbie shrugged.

"Forgive me for being ignorant, but who is this?" Jack spoke up, curious and confused. "And how do you two know each other? And what is all this business about Buzz?"

Mitsy sighed and cleared her throat. "Well, that's another story..."

* * *

The Potato Heads had asked Woody to keep an eye on their boys while they had an outing around the house. Woody had reluctantly agreed, knowing that the three aliens would keep him on his toes. And they did. He'd try to think of an activity to keep them occupied, then take a moment to sit down and have a moment to himself before the 'kids' got into something else. His moments of solitude and chilling were very short-lived. He asked for help from Buzz and Jessie, but they turned him down-seeing as playing babysitter kept the cowboy from moping around the house feeling sorry for himself-. Everyone he asked said no, except Dolly and Bullseye. Bullseye was faithfully at Woody's side while Dolly helped him come up with new ideas to keep the little rascals in line.

Woody's mind wandered throughout the day. He wondered how Mitsy and Jack's visit to the daycare center was faring. He also was trying to prepare in his head a polite conversation starter between himself and Jack. He really did want to know the dog better, but the cowboy was actually afraid of him. Every time he told himself that he had no reason not to try and freely talk to Jack, a worm of fear would creep up his neck. "Come on, Sheriff. You've got to just do it." He told himself over and over. Well, he'd have to wait 'til the two toys returned later on.

* * *

Bonnie returned from daycare at the usual time. She set her backpack down and left the room. Thankfully, she didn't look inside her pack. Jack unzipped it. "Hey, guys. We're back!" he announced. The toys gathered around. This trip had been a first for Jack and the princess: her first trip to Sunnyside since they'd escaped, and Jack's first trip with her anywhere since they were reunited.

"So, how was it?" Trixie asked first.

"It was...amazing," Mitsy declared, wide-eyed.

"Very, uh...educational," Jack stated. Buzz and Woody glanced at each other knowingly.

"Did you have fun?" Slinky asked.

"Yes." Mitsy said. "I was scared at first, but once we arrived everyone was so friendly. It's such a cheerful place now. Barbie and Ken have done wonders. Oh, and guess what: Sarge is there now!"

"Yeah, I've seen him when I've visited." Woody said.

"Well, this was my first trip back, so I forgot."

"You'll never guess who we ran into there." Jack shook his head.

"W-who?" Rex asked nervously.

"Zurg." Mitsy answered. "And it's the same one we encountered years ago when Al stole Woody!"

"You're kidding!" Potato Head gasped.

"No way." Slinky protested.

"Oh, he was really friendly." Jack said casually. "And he said to tell Buzz 'hi'." Buzz gulped and rubbed his chin.

"Oh, Jessie! Look what Barbie gave me!" Mitsy said excitedly and hopped out of the bag. She twirled with a colorful blur in her arms. It was a lavender doll dress with yellow trimming, pink rosebuds, and a tiny pearl necklace embedded in the cloth.

"Spiffy outfit, Your Highness." Jessie replied.

"Hey, that's really pretty!" Woody smiled fondly. "Barbie is very thoughtful."

"Yes, she is." Mitsy agreed.

"What an exciting surprise," Jessie smiled, touching it and holding it up against the princess.

"Looks like it'll be a perfect fit." Dolly commented.

"I've never had a new dress of my own before!" Mitsy exclaimed, clutching it.

"Let's go try it on and see how it looks," Jessie suggested, but then Jack's ears shot up.

"Bonnie's coming! Positions, everyone!" He ordered.

Mitsy ran to him. "Here, Jack!" She thrust the dress into his paws. "Put it back quick!" Jack did, and all the toys tried to resume their spots from that morning.

Bonnie came in and went to her backpack. "Hey, toys. Look what I found." she declared. But instead of the lavender dress, she pulled out a cone-shaped hat and a matching cape. They were very dark purple with silver-outlined moon print on them. Bonnie grabbed Dolly and imitated the evil laugh. "Yikes! Now she really looks like a witch!"

 _Ohh, poor Dolly,_ the toys thought.

"Everybody, run! She's coming after you!" Bonnie sent a lot of her toys sprawled out on the floor and ran around the room with Dolly sailing through the air. She pretended to be several of them screaming and running for their lives.

* * *

That night during dinner, Mitsy finally got to try on her new dress. Jessie helped her. She came out of the closet. "A perfect fit." Dolly remarked proudly, with her hands on her hips.

"You look so nice." Trixie told the princess cheerfully. "Very pretty."

"Absolutely lovely, darling," Mrs. Potato Head cooed. "Barbie has excellent taste."

"She sure does." Jessie added. "The dress really suits you, Mitsy. And it compliments your blonde hair."

"And it matches your slippers." Trixie added.

"Thank you." Mitsy smiled back. "Did I ever tell you that purple is my favorite color?"

"A long time ago." Jessie rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Bob Howdy! You look beautiful, Mitsy." Slinky panted and wagged his tail when he saw her.

"Oh, thank you, Slink." Mitsy hugged him. "I'm glad everyone approves."

"Come on, let's go show Woody and Jack." Jessie said, taking the princess's hand.

* * *

 **I was glad to get this chapter over with. Maybe it wasn't the best one, and I know it didn't include a lot of Woody or the other characters. I'm really looking forward to posting the next one!**


	4. Chapter 4 Clarification

Later that night, way past bedtime, Woody sat alone on Bonnie's windowsill. But he wasn't sulking this time, he was musing over the day's events. He'd had to look twice when Mitsy ran up to him, eager to show him how she looked in her new dress. It had made him feel like a 'father' again, delighting in whatever amused and please 'his little girl'.

Today had been a 'normal' day again, and he felt warm inside, and loved again. He was conscious of another toys' presence, and slightly turned his head. "Evening, Sheriff," came a wise voice. It was Jack, not Buzz!

"Oh, uh...uh...hey there," Woody stammered, not sure what to do next. This was very unusual.

"Do you have a minute?" Jack asked. "I wanted to have a word with you."

"Sure," Woody said curiously. Jack sat down on the other side of the sill. "What's on your mind, partner?"

"Like I said before, I had a very _educational_ field trip today." Jack said.

"Uh-huh. Yeah?"

"On the drive to Sunnyside, Mitsy told me about that evil bear Lotso and how you all narrowly escaped from his clutches. I had no idea about any of that. You wouldn't think it had once been a dark prison if you went there today."

"I know. Barbie and Ken have done a fantastic job there," Woody agreed.

"She told me about how you had tried to keep them from going, Sheriff, because you all still belonged to your kid, Andy."

"Did...did she mention how...how I walked out on my friends and left them there?" Woody mumbled.

"Yes, she did." Jack looked thoughtfully at the cowboy who hung his head shamefully. "But she also told me that you came back because you cared too much about your friends to leave them in such a place, once you knew the danger they were in."

"Oh," Woody chuckled, still embarrassed that Jack had learned one of his past failures. Jack grew quiet and looked troubled. After a few silent moments, Woody asked, "Hey, are you okay?" Jack looked so dejected that Woody was afraid he was angry and disappointed that Woody had left the toys, and Jack's princess, in the first place.

"Sheriff, there's...there's something I _need_ to know!" Jack declared adamantly.

"What's t-that?" Woody asked shakily, afraid of where this was headed.

"I want the truth."

"Of course." Woody said bravely. Jack looked him straight in the eyes.

"Is...is it true...is it true that you all almost...almost got burned alive in the incinerator at the dump?" Jack's strong voice was quivering with fear.

Woody had never seen the fearless dog behave in this manner, and he felt bad for him. He scooted closer. "Yes," he finally answered.

"And was it because Lotso left you there to die, after and you and the Space Ranger risked your own necks to save _his?"_

"Yes." Woody nodded solemnly. "Every word of it is true." Jack's face was filled with horror. He grimaced and leaned his head on his paw, sighing heavily and groaning. Woody stared sympathetically at the old dog, wishing he could do something to help him. "Hey, take it easy there, partner." He said gently.

Jack shook his head, exasperated. He looked helplessly up at the sky. "When...when I think of how someone could be so heartless...how my little girl almost died, was almost killed...by, by the very thing she fears more than anything else in this world! And...and I wasn't there to keep her safe from it! I wasn't there to help you and all your wonderful friends. There was nothing I could do! If I'd been there, Sheriff, I would've tried to get you guys out!"

"Thanks, Jack." Woody smiled wryly. "There was nothing any of us could do. We would've given anything in the world to have not gone through that experience! It was...it was...unimaginable! It was unlike anything we'd ever thought of."

They both sat in silence for a while. Jack finally broke it. "You know, Mitsy speaks about all of you all the time," he said, more relaxed now. "But _you're_ the one she talks about the most."

"M...me?" Woody gaped, surprised.

"She speaks very highly of you. She's spoken of how you went after Jessie the cowgirl to save her from flying to Japan, and how you rescued Wheezy from being sold by accident in a yard sale. All the times you could've played it safe and cared less about what happened to any other toys besides yourself. How you threw yourself into it without giving it a second thought because because they were your friends. She's told about when the Spikes Toy Gang trapped you two in the box, about how you kept her behind you to protect her, and then told her to run to safety when they attacked you. I wanted to thank you, Sheriff. I'm truly grateful to you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." Woody smiled. _"You_ did so much more than that."

"Can I ask you something, uh...personal?" Jack prodded cautiously.

"I _guess."_ Woody gulped.

"Just who was Bo Peep?" Jack inquired. Woody sadly smiled and stared at his boots.

"She...she was the one love in my life." He whispered. "She was...she was gorgeous, she was..." Woody gulped again and couldn't continue.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff." Jack said, patting Woody with his paw. "I'm sorry I asked...hey, can I tell you something?"

"S...sure." Woody looked up.

"I have to be honest with you. I...we haven't gotten to know each other very well. But if we're both going to be Bonnie's toys, I think that needs to change."

"I agree with ya there, pal." Woody nodded.

"I guess," Jack continued, "what I'm trying to say, is...is that I really admire you, Sheriff Woody." Woody's jaw dropped. "I admire your courage and kindness, but most of all, your loyalty. It truly stands out more than you'll ever know."

"I...I don't know what to say," Woody said. If he had been human, he would've broken out in goosebumps.

"Mitsy talked so much about you and what a great guy you are, that I...I was afraid I was losing her respect. I was afraid you were replacing me in what I thought I strongly felt was _my_ place as guardian in Mitsy's life."

"What?" Woody was astonished. "Aw, come on. You're...you're pulling my leg!"

"No," Jack disagreed. "I really _did_ feel that you were replacing me."

"But how in the world could you believe that? Why, every toy in Bonnie's room is crazy about you." Woody stated.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Sheriff. Everybody looks up to you. But you see, when you share a special connection with someone and it looks as if it's being intruded on, it's easy to watch seeds grow into weeds of jealousy."

"Whoa!" Woody gasped. "Now, wait a minute. I'd better straighten you out on a few things. Number one: Jack, pal, you have _no_ idea how many times in life _that_ has happened to me! I've been through it several times, I'm sorry to say. Why, I resented Buzz from the first moment I saw him."

"The Space Ranger? I never would've guessed that!" Jack sputtered.

"I know." Woody chuckled. "He's the best friend I have in the whole world... _now._ Number two: are you trying to say that you felt jealous of...of _me?"_

"Yes, Sheriff." Jack sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I was."

"No, no. _I'm_ sorry!" Woody corrected him. "I was jealous of you!"

"Are you serious?" Jack asked. "But why?"

"Yes. All my friends have been so fascinated by you and I've felt invisible. I felt like no one cared to notice me."

Jack laughed, so did Woody. Bonnie stirred, and the two toys shushed each other. But Bonnie kept sleeping. "Well," Jack finally said, "I think we both need to learn to share our friends, don't we?'

"Yeah," Woody chuckled. "Most of the time, I think I'm passed that stage and that I'm okay. But eventually, something comes up where I have to learn it all over again!"

"I'm afraid I'm not as seasoned there as you are. Do you think you could help me, Sheriff?" Jack asked, smiling.

"Not sure of how good a teacher I can be," Woody laughed, shrugging, "but I'll try."


	5. Chapter 5 the Gift

"I think this belongs to you," Jack turned his head and when he faced the cowboy again, Woody was dumbfounded. Jack was holding his felt medal in his mouth! "I don't feel very worthy of it, Sheriff. I want you yo have it."

Woody's face was sad and shocked, and he shoved th medal away. "No!" He gasped. "I can't take this, Jack. It's rightfully yours! You keep it."

"No, Sheriff. Accept it as a token of my respect and admiration. And friendship." Jack insisted.

"Don't you see, Jack? I can't accept it. I am flattered, and... _honored_ that you would consider me to have earned it, but...but t just wouldn't be right for you to give this up." Woody sighed. "It wasn't some prize that we both competed for. This is a...a _memorial_ to you, and I want you to have it."

"I'm astounded at your noble spirit, Sheriff, but I can say that you more than deserve it."

"I appreciate your generous sacrifice, but..." Woody cocked his head and looked up at the sky curiously. He smiled warmly and looked back at the dog, "...but I know someone who deserves to have it much more than I do."

"You do?" Jack's ears perked up.

"Uh-huh. Just follow me, partner. Oh, and another thing. We're going to be friends, right?"

"I believe so," Jack chuckled.

"Well, would you do something for me?" Woody asked.

"If I can."

If you can remember to, would you please call me Woody?"

Jack smiled. "Sure. Deal, _Woody."_ Woody gave the finger sign for 'deal' as they shook hands. Jack's jaw dropped and his eyebrows rose in surprise. Then he grinned nodding, knowing from where Woody must have learned ASL.

* * *

The two toys climbed up on Bonnie's bookshelf. Jack pawed at Mitsy, who was lying comfortably on a set of books. "Are you asleep?" Jack asked quietly, trying not to disturb Dolly.

"Jack?" Mitsy yawned. "Hi." She smiled when she saw him.

"I have something for you. Can you sit up for me, please?" Jack asked, and Mitsy obeyed. "Here, darling. I'm giving this to you, I want you to have it." And he placed the medal in her lap. The princess gasped, wide-eyed. She ran her fingers over it.

"Jack, it's your medal!" Mitsy exclaimed. "But it's yours. Why are you giving it to me?"

"I want it kept safe, and it belongs to you now."

"Oh, Jack. I'll keep it safe. I promise!" Mitsy gushed. "I'll treasure it forever! It'll be a part of you that I can carry with me always." And she wrapped her arms tightly around her great big dog.

"It was Woody's idea." Jack whispered. Mitsy saw Woody standing afar off at the other end of the bookcase, smiling warmly. She smiled back and signed a very heartfelt 'thank you' to her good friend. He signed back, 'you're welcome'.

Mitsy gazed at the precious object in the moonlight over and over again. She cherished it for three reasons: Jack had given it to her; it was a symbol of who he was and all that he had done; her friends, the other toys had made it themselves. Plus, Woody had given Jack the idea, and it meant a lot to her. Now she would have a physical reminder to always keep of Jack, should they ever become separated again in the toys' world of uncertain fate. Because of those, it would always be special to her. She slept happily with the beloved medal clutched close to her.

Woody and Jack talked late into the night, reminiscing about their individual past times, mostly humorous memories. At one point, Buzz was awakened by their merriment, and was about to tell them to quiet down. Then he thought better of it. Woody had been so down in the mouth lately, plus he'd been quite aloof around Jack. Buzz smiled as he saw the cowboy and the dog enjoying each other's company. Woody _had_ made a new friend, in the very toy he'd thought would snub him. Buzz saluted to them without them knowing, and smiling, lay back down and took his place beside Jessie, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. Woody and Jack finally started to yawn, around 5:30...AM!

* * *

A few days later, Jessie was hollering up a ruckus as she chased after the three little peas who'd stolen her hat. For such tiny toys, they were speedy. "Give that back!" Jessie yelled. The peas just giggled as they scurried. Jessie took a flying leap, reaching out to grab them. But...she missed, which only ticked her off more. "Come back here, ya little thieves!" Woody, Buzz, Jack, Rex, and Pricklepants were all standing by, watching and snickering along with rolling their eyes.

"Gotcha ya again, cowgirl." Hamm chuckled.

" _What?!"_ Jessie sputtered, staring up at the pig and the unicorn. "You two...again?"

"Ha, ha, ha." Buttercup threw back his head. "You are one hot-tempered desert flower." Jessie scowled and sprinted forward like a cougar, ramming both of the smart aleks off their feet.

"You two are worse than a fox in a hen house." She snarled. "How much did you give them this time? Talk!"

"You'll get nothing out of us, Wrangler Jane." Buttercup smiled proudly.

"Don't bet your saddle on it." Jessie threatened. "I'll fix you two later." Then she resumed her pursuit to rescue her precious hat. "Get back here..."

"Fasten your seat belt, partner." Woody joked, glancing at Jack."Life can get to be a bumpy ride around here."

"Mmm. I think I could get used to that." Jack grinned.

Woody and Buzz smiled at each other. Life was good. Some friends would leave while others would stay. Some things would change, maybe constantly. But, there were some things that would _never_ change!

* * *

 **I feel like this hasn't been my best story, and that I got a little off topic with all the scenes of Mitsy. Well, that's the way I planned it. Anyway...I'm hoping to do the next ones much better.**

 **Can you believe that Jack was willing to give up his medal to Woody?! I bet you didn't see that coming! And Woody still humbly put someone else before himself. Isn't he a great guy?**


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